Heater for refrigerator-cars.



R. M. DIXON.

HEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1906.

968,33 1 Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

ATTOR/VEVJ R. M. DIXON.

EEATER FOR REFRIGERATOR GARS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1906.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m ig /lVVEN TOR A romms WITNESSES:

' To allwhom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEATING & LIGHTING mm, A. CORPORATION 01' NEW JERSEY.

nm'rnn r03. nnrmcmron-cans.

Specification of Letten mm.

Patented Aim. 2a. 1910.

Application filed m 1a, 1900. Serial m. 317,719.

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. DIXON, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaters for Refri erator-Cars, of which the fol-lowin is a fu clear, and exact description, suc as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to heating systems, and more especially to hot water heating systems designed to be used in connection with railway cars. One object thereof is .to provide an im roved hot water heating system particular y adapted for employment in certain types of freight cars. Another object thereof is to provide a heating system of the above type wherein the chances of accidental fires are reduced to a minimum.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in art pointed out hereinafter.

e invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations. of

elements and arrangement of arts which will be exem lified in the embo iment hereinafter'set orth, and the S00 ',e of the application of which will be in icated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one of the various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing diagrammatically the 'outline of the floor of a freight car provided with my invention, Fi 2 is a view in elevation of a portion of the eating system, with the-heater secured underneath the sills :of a car, Fig. 3 is a view taken transversely through the body portionof a freight car wherem certain portions of this embodiment of my invention are positioned, some of the parts being shown in elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 -of my invention may be more clearly comprehended, it may here be noted that in some types of freight cars, as refrigerator cars, it is desirable to provide heatin ap aratus of some character whereby a slight egree of heat may be afforded so as to insure against the perishable freight carried by such cars becoming damaged by frost. As such cars are not open for inspection and must necessarily for long intervals of time be without care or attention, .the employment of fuel burning heaters in this relation has hitherto proven objectionable on account of the likelihood of-theirsetting-the structures .afire. I have therefore found it desirable, in obviating the above and other objections to the use of stoves in this relation, to provide a structure wherein all dannonnar 1i. DIXON, or am omcnnnw JERSEY, ASSIGNOB we ran em on and it will be apparent from the more detailed description of my invention into which I shall presently enter, that I have secured these ends through the provision of an eflicient heating apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown the preferred adaptation of my invention applied to a refri erator car, indicated at 1, the roof 2 of which has, in Fig. 1, been removed to better illustrate the arrangement of the circulatin system. Underneath the sill 3 at one si e of the'car is secured a casing 4, within which is located a heater 5. The heater is arranged to be fed from the top and has its fire box ,surrounded by a water retainer or jacket 6,

. from which a water feed pipe 7 extends at its upper portion and which has leading theremto at its lower portion the return pipe 8 of the heating system. The products of combustion from the heater are discharged therefrom into the atmosphere 1:158 means of a-flue or stack 9 which-exten therefrom upwardly throu hthe body of the car at one side thereo above the roof of the car.

Encircling stack-9, and providing a space therebetween, is a water-jacket 10, as clearly and at its top,

shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

This water-jacket extends the entire length of stack 9 within the body of the car, and. is closed ag inst leakage about stack'9 at its lower poftion by a fitting 11, into which leads the water feed conduit extending from heater 5. The upper end of water-jacket 10 said system of piping being connected to heater 5 by means of return-pipe 8.

Threaded into an opening 16 in .waterjacket 10 above the highest point'in the circulating system is a. funnel 17 by means of which the entire system may be filled with water, said funnel being closed by means of a valve 18. It will be noted that waterdrum 10 extends above the highest point in the circulating system and thus provides an expansion tank therefor, and, in order to provide against the accumulation of an excess of pressure in the system, fitting 12 at the upper end of water-jacket 10 has threaded therein a short pipe 19 which carries a suitable pop or safety valve 20.

The operation of my invention should be obvious without further description, but it will be noted that the hot water flowing from the heater will circulate through feed pipe 7, water-jacket 10 which surrounds the stack of said heater, thence through the circulating system arranged about the car, said circulating water returning to the heater through return-pipe 8. It will thus be seen that stack 9 is insulated from the structure of the car, and all likelihood of said structure becoming ignited from contact with said stack thereby prevented. Moreover, the heated products of combustion passing through said stack are utilized in heating the circulating water.

It will accordingly be apparent that I have provided a construction characterized by simplicity and efiiciency, and one wherein is realized all the aims and objects of my invention above specified, and others not mentioned herein, as I deem my invention susceptible of being employed with great facility in a variety of other relations, although it is especially well adapted in the relation shown.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my inven tion could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween- Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A refrigerator car heating system comprising, in combination, a heater supported underneath the body of a car, an inclosing casing about said heater, a stack extending from said heater through the body of the car, through the roof thereof to the atmosphere, a water-jacket positioned about said stack providing a space therebetween for the circulation of water, said waterjacket being closed about said stack at its upper and lower ends by means of suitable fittings, a water-feed conduit extended between the upper portion of said heater and the fitting upon the lower end of said waterjacket, a water-circulating system leading from said water-jacket intermediate its ends and extending about the interior of the car underneath the roof thereof, a connection between said circulating system and said heater whence the circulating water is returned to the heater, means connected with said water-jacket above the level of the circulating water in said system whereby the system may be filled, the upper portion of said water jacket providing an expansion tank for the system, and means connected withsaid water-jacket for relieving the system of excess pressure.

2. In a refrigerator car, in combination, a heating system therefor comprising a. source of heat located without the car, a stack leading therefrom passing through the interior of the car, a water jacket positioned about said stack within the car so as to insulate to some extent said stack from the immediate locality, and a circulating system located within said car and in communication with said jacket for transferring the heat thereof to localities remote therefrom resulting in the more equal distribution of the heat.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT M. DIXON. 

